


Quaking Earth

by Joyous32



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:09:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6949939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joyous32/pseuds/Joyous32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack and Ianto recover from being trapped in the debris of an earthquake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quaking Earth

Ianto blinked awake, feeling the world spin rather fast around him. He sat up and squeezed his eyes shut as his ears rang. There was movement from somewhere beside him, but Ianto didn’t register it until the noise began again.

“Bugger.” Jack yelled and Ianto jumped, turning to see Jack lying beside him with a beam sticking out of his stomach. It was at this moment that Ianto felt the stinging of glass in his hands, which made him exhale sharply. He scooted toward Jack, ignoring his aching palms and knees. As he reached him, Jack spat out blood, looking at Ianto with a pale face. “You have glass in your cheek.” Jack informed him and Ianto looked the man over, trying to figure out if he was seriously checking Ianto for wounds with a beam in his own stomach.

“How are you not dead?” Ianto didn’t touch his own cheek, but cradled Jack’s, brushing the dust from the man’s face.

“Lucky. I’m just happy to see that you aren’t.” Jack replied and winced as he tried to move his arm out from beneath himself.

“What happened?” Ianto asked. It was coming back to him. They had been in a restaurant that was fairly empty at this time of night. The two of them had been going here for date night for several weeks, but as usual, they lost track of time and ended up staying near closing time.

“Earthquake.” Jack replied and Ianto inhaled sharply.

“Rift activity?” Ianto asked.

“Could be.” Jack readjusted himself and even more blood faded from his face. “Could also be an earthquake.” He decided and groaned. “Okay.” He gasped for breath. “Ianto. Can you get this thing off me?” Jack asked and Ianto turned pale. He stood in the area cleared by the beam and looked up to find it submerged in a pile of debris.

Ianto gripped the beam and attempted to lift it, hearing Jack groan from beneath him. Ianto felt his stomach churn and blood drain from his face. He managed to lift the beam off of Jack-out of Jack’s stomach- and toss it down beside the man, sitting down to cradle Jack, who was still alive, in his arms.

Jack spat blood out again and Ianto pressed his lips together. “I’m okay.” Jack whispered. “I’m okay. Thank you, Ianto.” Jack reached up and thumbed Ianto’s chin with his good arm. “You okay?” He finally breathed and Ianto gave a short chuckle. The shock hadn’t worn off yet.

“I’m fine, Jack.”

“No broken bones?” Jack asked with a dazed, bloodied smile.

“Good question.” Ianto responded. “I can’t quite feel anything yet.”

“You look like you need to eat something.” Jack commented and Ianto narrowed his eyes.

“Great. I’ll just pull up some floorboards, then.” Ianto responded and Jack rolled his eyes back at the man.

“We’re in a restaurant, Ianto.”

“We’re trapped.”

“Find a way out.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’re really pale.”

“You’re coughing up blood.” Ianto raised an eyebrow at the man, who groaned once more. Ianto blinked the tears from his eyes as he watched Jack suffer.

“Please, Ianto. Just kill me.” Jack begged and Ianto’s heart skipped a beat.

“No.” Ianto replied easily, his voice cracking.

“Ianto, I’ll come back. And…” Jack tried to sit up, but groaned and resumed his spot on the floor. “I won’t be in all this pain while my body fixes itself.”

“We can give you something…” Ianto looked around the space that had been cleared by their own bodies and the beam that had held up the pile of debris. Looking at it now, Ianto was surprised that the pile hadn’t come crashing down on top of them when he moved the beam.   

“Like what?” Jack grunted. “Ianto, look. You have your gun on you, just shoot me!”

“Jack…” Ianto moaned.

“Ianto!” Jack snapped back, his voice cracking.

“Fine.” Ianto pulled out his gun and pointed it at Jack’s head. Jack relaxed slightly.

“Just don’t think about it.” Jack informed him and Ianto pulled the trigger. The sound made his ears ring again and he covered them, throwing the gun a few feet away. He knelt down beside Jack, resting his head on Jack’s thigh as he waited for the man to wake up again.

Ianto felt his breathing catch and tried to inhale, but began to hyperventilate. He forced himself to look away from Jack’s lifeless face. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before. Of course, he hadn’t done the honours before. His only thought was to wonder whether Jack would wake up this time. As far as he knew, Jack didn’t even entirely understand this thing that had happened to him to make him immortal. What if this was the one time he didn’t come back?

Eventually, he heard a voice cry out and looked up and around. There were no openings to the sky above that he could find. He forced himself to look down at Jack to see that the bullet hole in his head had disappeared. Only dried blood remained, which wasn’t that telling, seeing as the man was covered in his own blood.

“We’re here!” Ianto called back, but then second guessed himself. If someone came now, they would find Jack dead only to wake at a later time. Of course, if they didn’t, how long would they be stuck there? “Hello! Hello? We’re here! Help!” Ianto continued to call, feeling the shock lock his joints and his heart speed back up again.

“Hello?” A voice called.

“Help!” Ianto called back. Finally, an opening was made and a face appeared.

“Sir? Can you come over here and we’ll help you out?” The face asked.

“My friend.” Ianto placed his hand on Jack’s arm and the man grimaced.

“Is he okay?” The man asked.

“He’s only unconscious.” Ianto replied and Jack woke with a dramatic gasp. “Never mind.” Ianto muttered and Jack stood, helping Ianto up as Ianto refused to let go of Jack’s arm.

“You okay?” Jack asked Ianto quietly, tilting his head to see Ianto’s face.

“Are you two all right in there?” The man called again and Jack looked back.

“Yes, we’re coming!” Jack replied and led Ianto over to the man. Between Jack and the man on the outside, the debris were shifted away enough to make a hole that they could push Ianto through and then cart Jack through.

Once they were out, Jack insisted that Ianto was checked over, while he walked off, stating that he had to call home to tell everyone they were all right. Ianto saw him playing with the vortex manipulator and knew Jack was checking to be sure that that had only been an earthquake. Somehow, Jack had positioned his coat just right so that nobody could see the bloody gaping hole in the back of it and simply buttoning the coat hid his bloody shirt.

“I’m fine.” Ianto informed him and Jack raised an eyebrow before talking to the doctor.

“Ianto, you have a fractured rib, cuts everywhere and I’m convinced of shock.” Jack remarked and Ianto blinked, staring back at Jack.

“Well, twenty minutes ago, you were dead.” Ianto replied and Jack smirked, holding his hand out to the man.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” Ianto stood, following Jack without taking his hand. As they walked in silence, Ianto eventually let his hand brush Jack’s and Jack took it firmly in his grasp. Jack glanced at Ianto from the corner of his eye and saw Ianto’s eyes watering slightly.

Once they had reached Ianto’s flat, Ianto had removed his hand from Jack’s to lead him up the stairs rather painfully. Inside, Ianto removed his coat as Jack helped him in a reversal of roles. Then Ianto began to walk over to the couch, but Jack turned him around and kissed him, careful to avoid touching his torso, though Ianto still gasped in pain.

It only took Ianto a few seconds to push Jack away and glare slightly before collapsing onto the couch with a groan. Jack removed his coat and entered the flat, looking around. “Do you want anything?” He asked and Ianto patted the couch beside himself. Wordlessly, Jack sat beside Ianto and waited. “Are you okay?” Jack asked again and Ianto turned to him with his bottom lip wobbling. Jack cradled his face and Ianto began unbuttoning what was left of Jack’s bloodstained shirt. “Hey, hey. What—” Ianto groaned when he saw the undershirt still in his way and Jack gave him a look, but Ianto just pulled the shirt up and stared at the unmarred flesh before him. Ianto delicately traced the skin where he knew the scar should have been with his thumb and then reached up to brush Jack’s hair from his forehead. There was no mark there either. “I’m sorry.” Jack said at the same time as Ianto.

“Don’t you ever make me do that again, Jack.” Ianto commented and brushed at a tear that had appeared on his cheek. He glanced away from Jack’s wide eyes. Still, Jack pulled Ianto into his arms, resting his cheek against Ianto’s hair.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would hurt you so much, Ianto. I’m sorry.” Jack replied and Ianto clung to him. “You realise that you stopped my pain, right?”

“It’s not all about you, Jack.” Ianto snapped back. “I’d…I don’t like seeing you dead. And maybe that makes me selfish because you’re the one actually dead, so you’re not as…comfortable…as I am. In that moment.” Ianto explained and tears continued streaming down his face.

“I’m okay, Ianto. I’m okay.” Jack reassured him and Ianto sighed. “Worst date night ever, huh?” Jack asked and Ianto gave a teary chuckle. “Shower and then bed?” Jack eventually suggested.

“Don’t leave.”

“I was actually thinking of joining you.” He replied and Ianto exhaled. “No sex. Just cleaning and then sleep.”

“Yes.” Ianto agreed, practically falling asleep on Jack’s shoulder.

“Come on, then.” Jack decided, lifting Ianto as he stood himself. Ianto turned only his head so that he could kiss Jack once more. Jack kissed him back gently, but passionately before pushing Ianto off to walk into the bathroom.

Inside the shower, Jack had to clean Ianto since when asking Ianto if he could do it himself, Ianto just made a guttural noise. Ianto watched Jack with wide eyes that seemed to wonder if he was going to drop dead there in front of him while Jack focused on the task at hand and narrowed his eyes at Ianto’s worried expression.

“You died.” Ianto informed Jack, who tried not to smirk, but ended up doing so anyway. He had handed Ianto his clothes, but Ianto didn’t attempt to get into them. Instead, he held the towel around himself for dear life while waiting for Jack to dress him so that he could avoid the pain.

“Yeah, I did.” Jack replied as he sat on the bed and motioned Ianto closer.

“I should be doing this for you.” Ianto remarked as Jack unfolded Ianto’s shirt.

“No, you shouldn’t.” Jack answered and looked up at Ianto as he dressed him. “You stay injured. I don’t.”

“Physically, perhaps, but psychologically…” Ianto sighed and Jack cradled the man’s cheek in his hand before stretching up to kiss him.

“I’m fine, Ianto.” Jack replied and finally they were both dressed and under the covers of Ianto’s bed. Jack wrapped an arm around him and Ianto buried his face in Jack’s chest as he closed his eyes.

“Liar.” Ianto whispered and Jack just held him close. “So what was it in the end?” Ianto asked.

“An earthquake. Just as I suspected.”

“Good thing too.” Ianto replied. “Not in the mood for weevil hunting.” Jack chuckled as they fell asleep.   


End file.
